Game Franchise Rankings

General purpose discussion about gaming and emulation.
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DaMadFiddler
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Game Franchise Rankings

Post by DaMadFiddler »

Time to bicker over controversial opinions!

I've ranked all the "main" entries in several long-running series from best to worst. Feel free to comment/criticize/berate/rant as you see fit.

For added fun, I've added an indicator (==) at the point in the list where the games are no longer worth your time unless you are a diehard fan.

Legend of Zelda
Link's Awakening
Link to the Past
Link Between Worlds
Twilight Princess
Skyward Sword
Ocarina of Time
Majora's Mask
Wind Waker
Minish Cap
Oracle of Seasons/Ages
Four Swords
==[original]
Link's Adventure
Spirit Tracks
Phantom Hourglass

Not counted: anything that isn't part of the main series (e.g., Hyrule Warriors, Link's Crossbow Training, the CDi games)



Castlevania
Symphony of the Night
Rondo of Blood
3
Dawn of Sorrow
Aria of Sorrow
4
Lords of Shadow
[original]
Circle of the Moon
Bloodlines
Order of Ecclesia
Portrait of Ruin
Adventure 2
Chronicles
==Legacy of Darkness
64
Lament of Innocence
Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate
Lords of Shadow 2
Harmony of Dissonance
Adventure Rebirth
Curse of Darkness
Legends
Adventure
2
Judgement



Super Mario (no cutoff line here; play them all!)
Galaxy & Galaxy 2
3D World
World
New (U)
64DS (counted as a separate game because of significant content changes/additions)
64
Bros. 3
3D World
Sunshine
New (Wii)
Bros. 2 (USA)
Land 2
New (DS)
Bros.
New 2 (DS)
Bros. 2 (JPN)
Land

Not counted: any of the *MANY* Mario-related games that are not part of the main series (e.g., the Kart series, Mario Is Missing, Mario Paint, Mario Maker, Paper Mario, the Mario & Luigi RPG series, any of the Mario sports...), any spinoff series (e.g., the Yoshi titles, the Wario Titles, Super Princess Peach, Captain Toad)



Mega Man
2
X
3
4 Minus Infinity - yes, this is a ROM hack. No, ROM hacks don't really belong on this list. I am adding it here because this thing is absolute insanity and deserves to be acknowledged.
4
6
5
9
10
1
X2
X3
& Bass
==ZX
ZX Advent
Zero 1-3
X4
X5
X8
X6
7
Xtreme
Xtreme 2
8
X7

Not counted: any of the games that are not part of the main platforming series (e.g., the Battle Network and Legends series, Soccer, Rockboard, Mega Man X Command Mission)



Sonic the Hedgehog
2
3 & Knuckles (yes, I consider these one combined game)
Advance 2
Colors (Wii)
Advance
[original]
Generations (PS3/360)
Generations (3DS)
Heroes
Colors (DS)
Adventure 2
==Adventure
Rush (DS)
Pocket Adventure
Lost World
Unleashed
Knuckles Chaotix
Advance 3
Secret of the Rings
Shadow the Hedgehog
Rush Adventure (DS)
Black Knight
[2006]

Not counted: any of the Game Gear games (because I don't remember them well enough to distinguish them), non-platforming spinoffs (e.g., Sonic Spinball, Dark Brotherhood, Shuffle, any of the sports, racing, or endless runner games), any of the Boom games because I haven't played them
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Re: Game Franchise Rankings

Post by Eviltaco64X »

Metal Slug:
1
2 (non-slowdown)
3
X
2 (slowdown)
4
5
6

Street Fighter:
III: 3rd Strike
Alpha 3
Alpha 2 Gold
II Turbo/CE
II World Warrior
Super SF2 Turbo
III: 2nd Impact
III
Alpha
SSF2 Turbo HD Remix
Super IV
IV
[original] - deserves respect for it's age and merit, but that's all

Still have yet to play V or some of the later IVs
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Re: Game Franchise Rankings

Post by DaMadFiddler »

Eviltaco64X wrote:Metal Slug:
1
2 (non-slowdown)
3
X
2 (slowdown)
4
5
6
You forgot Advance and 7.
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Re: Game Franchise Rankings

Post by Eviltaco64X »

DaMadFiddler wrote:
Eviltaco64X wrote:Metal Slug:
1
2 (non-slowdown)
3
X
2 (slowdown)
4
5
6
You forgot Advance and 7.
In all fairness, I never played them
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Re: Game Franchise Rankings

Post by cube_b3 »

DaMadFiddler wrote: Sonic the Hedgehog
2
3 & Knuckles (yes, I consider these one combined game)
Advance 2
How interesting that Sonic Advanced 2 is so high on your list.
I hadn't even played it.

I recently YouTubed Sonic Advance. I didn't appreciate it all that much (since I primarily played it on my N-Gage). But when I viewed it I realized two things. The fucking GBA was an 8-bit machine. The graphics seriously do not compare to the MegaDrive. The other thing was sans the graphics Sonic Advanced is basically what Sonic 4 should've been.

I thought of you and your long posts on Sonic Physics and I assumed you must have loved them.
After reading your top 3, I YouTubed Advanced 2. The graphics appear marginally better. I only viewed like 10 mins but it felt like a precursor to the Rush style of gameplay that you loathe. It is hard to tell if the momentum based physics are in there...

Anyway on to my list. I don't think i'll list all in the series... just a quick Top 3 I suppose.

3) Sonic Generations. To much of the rush formula to be rated any higher. I love Sonic in 3D and it doesn't do justice to that era. The biggest disappointment was Crisis City.
2) Sonic 06. I love this game, maybe not for what it is but what it could've been similar to how people are obsessed with Sonic X-Treme. Only difference is this is not a missing gem, it is a commercially released pre-alpha game. To appreciate this game, play Crisis City or Kingdom Valley.
1) Sonic Adventure 2.

After reading DMF's massive posts on the old game physics. I was inclined to revisit them. I was barely out of diapers when those games came out so I can't say I grew up with them. I identify much more closely with the Adventure games. I have beaten Sonic 1 & 2. I respect them but I don't know where I would rank them though.... I still have to play Sonic 3 & Knuckles too.
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Re: Game Franchise Rankings

Post by Eviltaco64X »

Tony Hawk ranking (excluding handheld versions):
THPS 2
THPS 3 (very closely tied with 2!)
Underground 2
Project 8
Underground
THPS 4
THPS 2X
American Wasteland
Proving Ground
THPS

vvvvvv
vvvvvv
vvvvvv
vvvvvv
vvvvvv
vvvvvv

Downhill Jam
THPS 5/HD/Air/Ride/anything from Robomodo
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Re: Game Franchise Rankings

Post by |darc| »

DaMadFiddler wrote: Mega Man
2
X
3
4 Minus Infinity - yes, this is a ROM hack. No, ROM hacks don't really belong on this list. I am adding it here because this thing is absolute insanity and deserves to be acknowledged.
4
6
5
9
10
1
X2
X3
& Bass
==ZX
ZX Advent
Zero 1-3
X4
X5
X8
X6
7
Xtreme
Xtreme 2
8
X7

How in the fuck do you rate X2 and X3 so low? X2 is the best of the SNES X games.
It's thinking...
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Re: Game Franchise Rankings

Post by DaMadFiddler »

It's not that they're "so low," it's that the NES games are THAT good.

Also, 2 and X (the first X) are tied for my favorite game in the entire franchise, so....
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Re: Game Franchise Rankings

Post by |darc| »

DaMadFiddler wrote:It's not that they're "so low," it's that the NES games are THAT good.

Also, 2 and X (the first X) are tied for my favorite game in the entire franchise, so....
I had only played X2 and X3 maybe two or three times as a kid, whereas I owned X as a kid. Didn't really play through X2 and X3 until adulthood. And they blow X away.
It's thinking...
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